Fluid-actuated engine.



A, I. RICH, la. lFLUID CTUATED ENGINE. APPLICAHM FlLED FEB.27,19i2.

Paened Dc. 2l, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Minis-7J A. 1. RICH, 1R. FLUID ACTUATED ENGINE.

4AVPLCFWIO FILED FEB. 2]. 191.).

lzltmmd Dea 21, 1915.-

2 SHEEI'Sf-SHEET 2.

20 chamberiare*storedfm` ameservoir or presumrnnsrnrns PATENT ALFREDJosE'rH nien, Jn., orsAN rnl'iNcisco, CALIFORNIA.

IELUID-ATUATED ENGINE.

' vTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,

producing great power to operate any suitable machinery, but more.particularly .adapted forg'use inlpropellin'g automobiles, Whereanengine ofy great 'power and'little weight is; desired, and theKinvention rhas'forfits jprincipal object toprovide' an engine of I theinternalcombustion type wherein the ex` h'lust gases from eachsexpl'osion -in'ithel'firing sure accumulatingv chamberfundercompi-ession, and then projected iwith great propel# ling force againsta suitable vaned Wheel or turbine to'propel thevehicle. i

A further'fobject is to providean engine Aof theinternal combustion typein whichV the gas to be exploded is forced into the firing i. chamberunder ,compression and the expanded gasesafterthe explosion has takenplace` are forced 'by their -own expansion into 'a' suitable pressureaccumulating chamber and stored therein, one explosion after another,

.until a suicient pressure has accumulated it0 drive tl1`e=:'cai'.-l 1

Another and important object is to pro# vide an engine of the abovecharacter, with a means forgvarying the volume of the explo4sivelchargewhich is intermittently 'admitted into the ring chamberthereof, without in-v creasing or decreasing the timing of the ex`rplosionzinfthe combustion chamber.

The ,invention comprises a 'cylindrical combustionor firing chamber,provided with the usual water jacket and spark plug, means forintermittently admitting highly 'explosive gasI underpressure into saidcombustion chamber, 'valve controlled means operated by the explosionvof the gas in`-lsaid chamber for permitting the expanded gases to escapetherefrom into a receiving or ac by 4suitable bolts and may be removedfor cumulating chamber, that said gases may be stored-therein under agreater pressure than the explosive pressure thereof, and means forprojecting the gasesv contained in said accumulating chamber underpressure l Specification of Letters Patent.

ALFRED JOSEPH RICH, v Jr., a citizen of the United States, residingPatented Dec. 21,19L5.

Application filed February 27,1912. Serial N o. 680,311.

against a ser-ies of turbine blades or vanes mounted on the shaft to beoperated.

With the above mentioned and other obconstruction and novel combinationof parts fhereinafter fully described, `illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended, it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minordetails of construction, within the scope of the claim hereto appended,may be resorted to with-l jects in view, the intention consists in theoutdeparting. from the spirit or sacriiicing.`

- 'any advantages of the invention.

y. To comprehendl the invention reference 7'should be hadto theaccompanying sheets lof drawings disclosing a complete conframeanddisclosing the firing chamber,

the 'supply tank for gas under pressure, the accumulating chamber forreceiving the ei:- plodecl gasesfrom the firing chamber, the

structed device for fully carrying out my i housing containing theturbine wheels for i transmitting power to the drive shaft, and

the connections and timing gears associated with each part.

section thereof and the several pipes 0r communications leading intosaidchamber.

Fig. 2 is a view of the iringgcliamber disclosing the detachable.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofthe combustion chamber showing the positionof the gas intake, the exhaust, and' the spark plug. Fig. et is adetail'view of the rotary valve in the gas inlet pipe. y y Referringmore particularly to the drawings,the reference numeral 1 designates asuitable vehicle frame capable of supportn 'A ingthe various parts of myinvention and on the forward end of .vliicli-isinounted a hollowvspherical iiring chamber 0 sur rounded byu suitable cooling or waten i.

jacket 3 formed between the wallsQ and 22 thereof, and which isconnectedby. an inlet ,"pipe 4 and an outlet pipe 5, toV a coolingradiator 'mounted on the front -of the rframe in advance of the firingchamber,.the

vvchamber beingprovided With .a removable section or plate 2 which issecured thereto the purpose of examining the interior ,of the chamber.The firing chamber is also provided with a `spark plug 3 for firing thecharge of gas in said chamber. Gas having -a turn plug or is suppliedunder vthe firing chamhigh explosive properties, pressure to theinterior of ber 2 from a` suitable supply tank or reservoir Ga by a pipe7 which entersthefiring chamber at a point as disclosed 'in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, fthe pipe being provided at a point adjacent the firingfrom the firing chamber into the pipe.

The charge of gas is"intermit tent'ly.. admitted into the firing chamberby-fa disk valve 9,- rotatably mounted in the inlet pipe 7 and provi edwith spaced openings 10 ex-4 tending therethrough,l which Ialternately'register with the opening in thel pipe 7, the valve being operated in' ahereinafter described manner.

ranged within` the inlet pipe 7 between the rotary, valve 9 operated bya 'suitable lever, not shown, which preferably extends to the steeringwheel of the car.

The gases after, beingadmitted into the combustion chamber vand explodedin a hereinafter described manner,are forced vby theirvown expansionthrough a suitable pipe and the supply tank 6**,and-

is positioned in extends from the radiator to the combustion chamberwater jacket, the operating of the 'w'ate'rpump circulating the waterthroughthe waterjacket surrounding the firing ,chamchamber v'with I" berandthe radiator. check valve 8 which prevents ab'ackre;

` which arevia'dap'ted to The volume of gas admitted into the yfiringchamber isregulated by other suitable valve 11 ar- 12 into a storage oraccumulating chamber 13, the pipe 12 projectingl slightly into the.

chamber as aty 14 and provided near the point of entering the firingvchamber with a ycheek valve 15, which prevents the return .flow oftheexpanded gases from theaccunailating chamber into the firing chamber.

The gases stored in the accumulating chamber 13 flow therefromthrough asuitable pipe or connection 1.6 into the forward end of a turbine casing17 and discharge against the blades ofa suitable turbine wheel vprovidedwith af.

rotate the' same,

gear 30, the teeth of interm'esh Withsuitextending from the pevalve 9..A connection.

provided withua bevel able, gear teeth 31 riphery7 of the diskS2/'extends froin the spark plu'g3f,"and the magneto also being.

' ground wire 33 which extends to anyisuitable part of the `vehicle,lpreferably the ,fram'e.

iend lto the shaft of a waterpump 29,- lwhich.

thewater inlet pipe 4 whlch magneto contacts to the The operationof'theengine is as follows: The parts being assembled and timed'to op'.

erate in the following' fr nann'er, and the accumulating chamber13fstorefd with gas, the. valve 21 is opened permitting gas underpressure to escape from the'ch'ainber through the pipe'l wheel 18 keyedto the shaft19`rwhich may betermed the drive shaft ofth'e "vehicle, andl the rotation-'ofthe shaft19 will, through the`gears 22"'23,-25 rotatethe magneto and 'gasitiining/ 'shaft 27.. The inlet valve 11 is"nowoperated"`admit ting the How of Ithe explosivegases` from and. tojstrike' against the turbine the tank 6a into the pipe 7, and as 'thediskl valve 9 is rotated and the portslO therein come in alinementwiththe openingfinthe 18, keyed. to a shaft 19, with sulicient im# pact to.rotate said shaft and transmit power to other parts of the vehicle; thegases after losing their force escape from the rear end of said casing17 through an exhaust pipe The drive shaft 19 is 'adapted to be throwninto geared' relation with the speed transmission 19 of the machine, totransmit-power therethrough to the rear .or propelling wheels of thevehicle. The ipe 16 1s provided intermediate the chamber' 13 and thecasing 17 with a suitable hand operated valve or turn plug 21, which ispreferably operated from a handle extending to v the steering wheel ofthe oar. y

The gas timing and ignition means operate in the following mannerr-Keved tothe forward end of 22 which meshes with'a a shaft 24, on theother end of which is carried a bevel gear 25, which intermeshes with asuitable gear 26 on a shaft 27, which extends longitudinally The shaft27 is connected at its rear end vtoA the shaft of a magneto 28 and atits forward of the vehicle frame.`

lating chamber the shaft 19 isa bevel gear gear 23, carriedby.

pipe 7, the gas is admitted into chamber 2 through the check valve l8,as fsoon as the gas isad-mi'tted into the combustion;`

chamber and the valve 9 has rotated to mi closed position, the magnetocontacts and a sparkissues from the spark plug 3 igniting Ithe chargeofy gas in the cylinder andthe gas by its'high explosive qualities 13,'under 'a sion force than when admitted into the combustion chamber, andthe pressure in the compression chamber maintained at the properpressure.

The drive 'shaft may -atV anyy time be lthrown into geared relation withthespeed that power willbetrans- A driving j transmission so mittedtherefrom to the rear or wheels of the vehicle.

It will be plosive gas from the accumul'ating'chamberto the'.

simultaneously-i this operation continuing the. timing mechanism-ofactuates the check Valve 1 5 in the outlet pipe 1,2 and enters theaccumu. f

greater expanf.

The shaft 27 is also'y For initial starting the shaft 24 is providedWithin its length With a universal Oint 34 permitting the gear 23 of the.shaft '24 to be thrown out of mesh with the gear 22 on shaft 19 andthrown into mesh With a suitable gear 35 adapted to be operated by asuitable hand crank extending/near the operators seat; the -shifting ofthe shaft 24: from one position to the other being accomplished by theoperation of the bell cranklever 36 which also extends Within easy reachofthe operator.

Having thus fully described my improved invention what is claimed as new`and de- 1,5 sired to be protected'by Letters Patent is In an apparatusfor the described purose, the combination with a ring chamber, a storagemeans for an explosive as, a connection. between the same and tie firing2o chamber, a valve for controlling said connection, means for varyingthe volume of chargefof explosive gas to be admitted to said firingchamber, means Within Said chamber for exploding said gas under -pres-25 sure, a pressure accumulating chamber for receiving the expandedgases after being exploded in sail tiring chamber, valve controlledcommunication between the firing chamber and said pressure accumulatingchamber, a rotary pressure actuated motor,

means for discharging a propelling jet from Asaid pressure accumulatingchamber against said rotary motor, and a geared connection between saidmotor and said iirst mentioned valve `for operating the same to controlthe 'admission of the explosive charges into the firing chamber, aninitial starting means, and means for disconnecting said gearedyconnection from Isaid rotor and positioning the same n coperation withsaid initial 4@ starting means, said initial starting means adapted foroperating said first mentioned valve and said ignition means forsupplying a charge bof fuel to the combustion chamber and, igniting 'thesame. i 45 In testimony whereof have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of

